


The Shadowed Jewel

by ScribbleWriting65



Series: The Shadowed Jewel [1]
Category: Original Work, RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Crossover, First Meetings, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-01
Updated: 2019-08-01
Packaged: 2020-07-28 21:30:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20070886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScribbleWriting65/pseuds/ScribbleWriting65
Summary: New friends are all around us. Even if they carry darkness with them, these friends can be a great help in our crazy schemes.





	1. Party Time

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! Here's my latest work (And my 20th. Woo-hoo!!): A crossover between RWBY and my original universe, Shadows! I mainly wrote this to see how my characters would interact with the main cast, and I hope I made said interactions believable. If you like my original characters, please check out my Shadows stories! Tell me what you think in the comments, and I hope you enjoy!

“Alright team, inventory check. Candles?”  
“Check.”  
“Party hats?”  
“Ready for crowning!”  
“Birthday cake?”  
“Ready for eating!”

Jaune smiled as Team RNJR walked back to Saphron’s house. She and Terra-Cotta were preparing for Adrian’s birthday party, and had asked the group and their friends to gather some finishing touches while they got the house ready. Ruby gazed upon the cake in her hands with sparkling eyes, a small line of drool escaping her lips. Nora had already put a hat on herself and Ren, who simply held the small box of candles under one of his arms with a content expression.

RNJR met with the others at their lodging’s doorstep, walking inside to find Saphron and Terra setting the table. A savory scent traveled into their noses, bringing smiles to their faces.

“How are things going in there, Slim?” Terra asked.  
“The soup’s almost ready, Terra. How are the sandwiches, Dot?” a soft but deep voice responded.  
A new feminine voice quickly followed suit. “Almost done here, too.”

The group stopped at the new voices, peeking around the corner to see two strangers cooking away, focused on their work. The man was quite large, being as tall as Jaune and noticeably bulkier. Even with his slightly intimidating figure, he seemed soft, cooking the soup with delicacy and precision. His eyes were focused on the dish, seeming to hide something in them, while a small smile was on his face.

The woman peeked around the large man, giving the group a radiant smile before returning to her work. She had a mixture of brown and blond hair, and was humming a tune to herself. The man seemed to catch her voice, smile slightly widening as he started humming along.

The food was shortly finished. Both dishes were carried over to the table, getting licked lips from Ruby and Yang. The man set to work serving the soup when Ruby walked over.

“Do you need help with anything?”  
The man slightly jumped, looking at her with surprised eyes before refocusing. “I’d appreciate it, thanks.”

Ruby simply gave a smile as she moved items on the table, distributing silverware and getting an extra spoon for more soup, filling any bowls that seemed emptier than their kin. The others pitched in, and the table was set.

“This soup is really good.” Ruby smiled. “Who made it?”  
“Why, he did.” Saphron gestured to the man, who slightly jumped as multiple sets of eyes landed on him. He quickly looked at the girl beside him, who gave him a soft smile.

“What’s your name?” Blake asked.  
“It’s uh, Slim. Sorry, I’m just not used to meeting so many people at once.” The man slowly looked up, giving a nervous nod to the others.  
“Hey, it’s okay. I’m Ruby.” She gave a simple smile.  
“The name’s Yang. Who’s your lady friend?” The brawler gave a smirk at the woman beside Slim, who started to blush.  
“Oh, my name is Dot. It’s nice to meet you guys.” She smiled brightly.  
“Sorry if I’m sounding rude,” Blake spoke, “but how do you guys know Saphron and Terra-Cotta?”

Saphron laughed, giving Slim and Dot a bright smile. “These two are our neighbors. They’ve also been miracle workers, babysitting little Adrian when Terra-Cotta and I were out.”  
“Please, Saphron. It hasn’t been a big deal.” Slim spoke. “You and Terra-Cotta welcomed us when we moved in.” Slim turned to the others. “I’m actually a Huntsman in training, and Dot and I decided to move here, get out on our own.”

“We’re Huntsmen in training, too!” Ruby wiggled in her seat. “We need to get to Atlas, but we haven’t had the best of luck.”  
“That doesn’t sound too surprising. Atlas is tough with security, especially with these travel embargos.”  
“You seem to know a lot about Atlas stuff, kid.” Qrow said. “What kind of work do you do?”  
“W-well, I’m also a freelance Huntsman. I can only take less dangerous jobs though, but I’m allowed to take jobs at all because of my abilities and how I did at school before…The Fall of Beacon.”  
“What’s your Semblance, if you don’t mind me asking?” Blake quickly shook out of her stupor, moving the conversation away from that day.  
“Uh…M-maybe later. Sorry.” Slim went still for a moment before focusing on his food. Dot softly rubbed his back, giving the group a sympathetic look, with Blake giving an especially worried expression. The heavy atmosphere was interrupted by a giggling Adrian, who had gotten his hands into his slice of cake.

The group enjoyed the extra treat, exchanging stories from their adventures. Slim was wide-eyed at team RWBY’s and JNPR’s feats, while Dot exchanged stories from when she and Slim babysat Adrian or visited the Cotta-Arcs. Ruby sympathized with the man when she learned of his lackluster cooking abilities before Terra started teaching him, and grew curious when he kept his Huntsman stories vague.

Dot, Blake and Yang gathered the used dishes, bringing them into the kitchen while the others gathered in the living room. Dot had a smile on her face upon seeing Slim interact with the others, laughing when he and Ruby had started discussing methods for weapon maintenance.

“So how did you and Slim meet, Dot?” Yang asked.  
“Oh. We were classmates at Haven Academy. I’m planning to be an Aura scientist, see how it can help out Huntsmen and Huntresses beyond its known uses. You guys went to Beacon, right?”  
“Yeah. It was certainly…Interesting.” Blake softly smiled at the other women, who reciprocated the gesture.  
Dot simply nodded. “Slim was incredibly shy, but also sweet and kind. His Aura is, unique, certainly an interesting subject for my research.” She chuckled at the memories, the long nights experimenting together, with Slim as the willing and nervous guinea pig. “What about you two? Any big adventures?”

Blake and Yang looked at each other, giving small smiles as they reminisced on how they got where they were. Dot could see great care and trust between the two, and perhaps something more.

“You could say that.” Yang softly smiled, but it faded into a serious face, her eyes seeming to travel back in time. Blake took Yang’s shaking hand, giving her a small smile and nod, which the brawler reciprocated. The two turned back to Dot, who only watched them with an understanding expression.

“Slim hasn’t had it easy. It’s not my place to say specifically, but his past haunts him a lot, not that his Semblance helps much either.”

Yang and Blake eyed the woman with concerned expressions as she stared off into space.

“_Whoooa! That’s so cool!!_” Their stupor was broken when Ruby squealed. The three women walked back to the group to see the young Huntress eye Slim’s hands, which had been enveloped in silver metal. Black and gold bands that had vein-like appearances ran through the gauntlets, and the fingertips gained sharp claws, which were currently withdrawn. A hum could be heard, emanating from circles of light on Slim’s palms.

“T-thanks. I call them Shadow Fang.”  
“Wait a minute.” Weiss spoke. “Where do you put in Dust rounds? It doesn’t look like you can carry much ammo.”  
“Well…I don’t use as much physical ammo as most Huntsmen actually. I…use my Aura itself, and can infuse Dust into my shots.”  
“But won’t you run out?” Nora asked. “It seems dangerous.”  
“I actually have more Aura than typical Huntsmen. I can fight for a good while before I get tired.”

Jaune wanted to voice a few questions, but decided to remain silent. He had never met someone like him before, but Slim also seemed shy enough already.

The group had settled soon after, simply enjoying the quiet, when Slim spoke up.  
“If you don’t mind me asking, why are you guys going to Atlas?”  
Everyone looked up, shaken from their talks and looking at each other with nervous glances.  
“W-well, we need to meet with General Ironwood about…political matters.” Ruby spoke, giving a glance to Oscar, who nervously gulped.  
“Why do you want to know?”  
“Well, if you guys don’t mind it, I’d like to help.”

The group looked at the man with wide eyes, especially Qrow and Oscar. Dot looked at him with fear in her eyes.  
“No offense, kid, but I don’t think you know what you’re getting into. Besides, your girlfriend doesn’t seem to appreciate it much.” Qrow slightly scowled.  
“He’s right, Slim. You don’t have to do this.”  
“Dot, please. I can’t just stand by while these guys go out risking their lives. Not when we can do something about it.”  
“Are you sure, Slim? Things get pretty complicated with us.” Weiss had slight fear in her voice, but it was buried under frustration.

“I’m sure. Besides, I have a…complicated background too.” Slim’s eyes seemed to quickly shift to a yellow color, but they returned to hazel in a split second, making Blake and Qrow doubt what they observed.  
“Look, Slim. I get it, wanting to help anyone you can.” Blake looked at the man with sad eyes. “But don’t be reckless. You’ve already got a good life here, don’t throw away your friends and loved ones. This is a dangerous mission we’re on.”  
“I understand, but please. If you don’t mind me saying, you’ve all been through a lot of hardships, it’s not very difficult to see. If I can help you at all, then I will.”

The group went silent at Slim’s words. His eyes held a fire in them, seeming to flash with multiple colors. Dot and Slim looked at each other, seeming to hold a private conversation with their eyes. Slim took Dot’s hand, bringing their foreheads together.

“You promise you’ll come back?” She softly whispered, tears starting to form in her eyes.  
Slim softly brushed the tears away with his thumb. “I promise, we’ll come back. And I’ll call regularly.”

Dot only nodded, giving Slim a light kiss on the forehead as they separated. Ruby was slightly afraid for the man, knowing just how dangerous their road would become. He looked at her with dedication in his eyes, only giving a nod, which managed to convey his certainty about his decision. Ruby reciprocated with a nod of her own, giving Slim a small smile.

“Well then, if you want to help us, we won’t stop you.”  
“Thanks, Ruby. So, do you guys have a plan?”  
“Well…Yeah, but it’s risky.” Jaune nervously laughed.  
“I’m a Huntsman like you. Besides, It’s for the good of the world or something like that, right? I’m…used to using less than typical methods.”  
The group smiled at Slim’s agreement, with Jaune recalling their previous encounters with Caroline Cordovin and giving him the strategy for tomorrow. Slim listened attentively, offering vague insight to how he could help.

Saphron stood and yawned, taking Adrian from Dot who had been playing with him and a model plane.

“This little tyke and I should be off to bed. You all should be too, I want to see you off in the morning.”  
“Yes, big sister.” Jaune sarcastically huffed.  
Said sister only laughed. “Well, good night everyone, and thank you all for helping with Adrian’s party. Will you be up soon, hon?”  
Terra Cotta nodded. “Sure thing. Thank you, guys, for everything. Good night.”

The group waved good night as the couple went upstairs to their bedroom. The calm atmosphere and late hour worked together to bring a wave of tiredness over the room, driving the others to bed as well, leaving only Slim, Dot and Blake awake, who had moved to the floor to let Yang sleep on the couch.

“I’ll head back to the house. Good night Slim.” Dot yawned as she stood.  
Slim quickly stood up, giving her a kiss on the lips. “Good night. And don’t worry, we’ll be safe.”  
“You better. I love you.”  
“I love you too.”

Dot waved to Blake as she left. Slim stayed where he was, the yellow iris returning for a longer moment, mixing with pink this time, and pushing Blake’s previous observance into certainty. Her ears stood up in curiosity as Slim walked away from the couch, using his hoodie as a pillow as he rested against the nearby wall.

“You don’t have to do that, Slim.” She offered.  
“Nah, it’s fine. I’m an easy sleeper. You can have the couch.”  
“No no, I- “  
“Please, I insist.”

The girl simply sighed, admitting defeat and quickly sinking into the couch as she laid down, nearly in dream land when her head hit the pillow.

“Slim?”  
The man in question looked around, seeing Blake look at him with curiosity and a hint of unease.  
“What is it?”  
“Are you okay?”  
“Yeah, I’m fine. Why do you ask?”  
“Well, I’m sorry if this sounds rude, but you were quiet for a lot of tonight, and seemed…scared, especially when you were asked about your Semblance.”  
Slim took a deep breath. “I haven’t had many friends throughout my life, especially after I got my Semblance, which is…surprising, to say the least. I’ve always been afraid that I’d hurt someone I care about, especially Dot. Don’t ask me how we started dating, even I don’t know the answer to that.”

Both of them softly laughed, easing the tension that had rested on them.  
“If…If it makes you feel any better, I’ve felt that too. But my friends show me that I can trust them, and myself.” She looked over at Yang, who was softly snoring.  
Slim simply nodded, giving Blake a small smile. “It does. Thank you, Blake. Yang is lucky to have you.”

Blake slowly closed her eyes, thinking about her friends, especially Yang.

“Blake?”  
She looked over at Slim one last time, who’s eyes were now a soft, sad gray, unlike Ruby’s pure silver irises.  
“Yes?”  
“For what it’s worth coming from a human, I’m sorry for what we’ve done to the Faunus. I personally think it’s cool, what you guys can do. I hope we can be friends.”  
Blake’s eyes widened, absorbing Slim’s words before shifting into a smile.  
“Thank you Slim, it means a lot. And I do think of you as a friend. Dot made a good choice for you as a partner.”  
Slim softly chuckled, his appearing blush being easily noticeable in the darkness for Blake. “Thanks Blake. Good night.”  
“Good night.”

Blake closed her eyes one last time, ready for whatever tomorrow would bring.


	2. New Friends(?)

“C’mon man, you know that isn’t gonna work, especially with all the daylight.”  
“It will. Now shut up, people will hear you.”  
“In case you haven’t noticed, everyone’s still snoozing off, Mr. Easy Sleeper.”  
A deep sigh was released. “Just get a bowl out.”  
“Hmph. Fine.”

Blake blinked her eyes open, slowly rising from the couch. Slim was gone from the room’s corner and could be heard from the kitchen, along with another voice. Blake creeped closer to investigate, only to stop at what she saw. A black…shape…was emerging from Slim’s shadow, looking over his shoulder. Blake slowly stepped back, accidentally knocking over a vase and causing it to shatter. Slim and the figure quickly turned around, wearing surprised expressions as the others rose and investigated the commotion.

“Well, shit.”  
“B-Blake, just remain calm, I can- “  
“What the hell is _that!?_”

Yang voiced everyone’s thoughts herself, with Qrow already scowling and reaching for his weapon. Ruby, Weiss and Oscar held disbelief on their faces, while JNR was wearing largely curious faces. The front door opened, showing a surprised Dot quickly walking in.

“What’s going o-…Oh.”  
Slim only sighed, nerves still clear on his face. “Guys, this is Shade, a part of my Semblance.”  
“How ya doin’.”  
Ruby slowly stepped forward. “Only a part? What do you mean?”  
“He means Sparky.”  
“_Shade._”  
The black figure huffed as Slim eyed the others nervously. “Firefly, you can come out.”  
“O-okay…”

A small ball of light emerged, growing to match the black figure in size, having blue eyes and a nervous expression.

“These are Shade and Firefly. They’re the darkness and light in my heart, respectively, and my Semblance.”

The room was silent. Qrow stopped reaching for his weapon, but was still on guard. Blake looked down, feeling nervous. Weiss and Ruby looked at each other, unsure what to do with this information. Oscar was wide-eyed, looking nearly terrified at the possible similarity to his own situation. Dot walked over to Slim, patting his shoulder. The whole room was still, its occupants unsure how to break the tension.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you two.” Ruby stretched out a hand.  
“Nice to meet you face to face, kid.” Shade smirked a bit as he reciprocated the gesture.  
“Back off, creep.” Yang walked forward, her eyes starting to gain a crimson hue.  
“Whoa, whoa. Just trying to say ‘hello.’ No need to get feisty with me, Goldilocks.”  
“Guys, _please._” Slim stepped between the two. “Now isn’t the time to fight. Yang, please trust me, I’ve got this. Shade, just step back, alright?”  
“Fine, break a guy’s back for breaking the ice, why don’tcha.” Shade floated back, giving Yang a slight scowl.

“Look, I’m sorry for Shade’s behavior. We all are, _right?_”  
“Yeah, yeah. I’m sorry for appearing rude.”  
“We don’t mean to frighten you guys.”

The group eased, seeing the three bow before rising, looking at each other and Dot.

“Did you know about this, Dot?” Weiss asked.  
Dot nodded slowly. “I’ve known for a while now. Before this, I was the only one who knew about Shade and Firefly.”  
“This is why I’m…cautious about who knows my Semblance.” Slim spoke. “Not many people stick around when the next best thing to a demon walks among them, in a sense.”  
Qrow eyed the group with scrutiny, making even Shade flinch. The air became tense again before Blake stepped forward, extending her hand. “We all have our demons. This doesn’t appear to be much different. I’m Blake.”

Slim, Shade and Firefly all looked at her with surprised faces. Shade finally moved, taking Blake’s hand with a soft smile. “It’s nice to meet you, Blake. You guys are certainly an interesting bunch.”

Blake reciprocated the smile, causing the others to relax. The atmosphere calmed, with everyone grabbing a quick breakfast. Afterward, people spread out, grabbing their weapons and making any final preparations. They were just about to leave when Saphron and Terra, carrying a slowly waking Adrian, walked down the stairs, gasping upon seeing Shade and Firefly retreat.

“Slim!?”  
Everyone turned, seeing the curiosity and fear in the couple’s eyes. Firefly broke the silence. “Uh oh.”  
Slim stepped forward, Shade and Firefly close behind. “Saphron, Terra, I- “  
“Save it.” Terra glared at them, seeming to look into their very souls. “I heard the gist of your little chat. Slim, do you have control over…these two?”  
Slim nervously nodded. “We never wanted to hurt you or your family. I thought it’d be better if they were kept hidden, for your safety.”  
“You don’t need to worry about our safety, Slim. But this does explain why you were so reserved.”  
“Terra,” Shade drifted forward, “I may be mostly darkness, but I have some light in me too, thanks to Slim and Sparky over here,” Firefly quickly nodded, “so I promise, I’ll stay out of the way.”

Saphron and Terra both eyed the shadow fiercely. Shade’s crimson eyes were calm, willing to accept whatever came from the couple. Adrian stared Shade in the eyes, making him both smirk and squirm slightly. The toddler quickly smiled, giggling as he grabbed at Shade’s hands and face. The room tensed, fearing that Shade would snap, but he only stuck his tongue out at Adrian, making him giggle even more. Terra stepped back, giving Slim, Shade and Firefly a small smile.

“If you won’t hurt anyone, I’m fine with you being around, both of you.”  
“Thank you, Terra.” Firefly bowed while Shade nodded.

The group eased, doing one last inventory check before saying goodbye. Jaune sarcastically grumbled as Saphron gave him a hug, giving her a genuine smile as they separated. Dot gave Slim a fierce kiss on the lips, making him blush as she kissed Shade and Firefly.

“You better behave Shade, we- “  
“Dot, I promise, we’ll be fine. I won’t do anything rash.”  
“Good. Watch over them, please Firefly?”  
The light smiled and nodded. “You got it.”

Dot smiled as she waved goodbye to the group, standing at the doorstep for a moment before heading back to her house.


	3. Challenges

They arrived at the Atlas base. Slim walked towards the gate, contemplating his plan.

“Are there any large shadows nearby?”  
The group looked at each other curiously. “Why do you ask?” Weiss said.  
“One of my abilities is to sink into and travel through shadows, if they’re a decent size.”  
“Maybe this’ll help.” Weiss gestured down to the shadow formed by herself and the briefcase she was rolling behind her. Slim studied it for a moment before nodding.  
“That’ll work. You won’t see me, but I’ll be in the shadow, ready to come out when it’s clear or convenient.”

Weiss nodded as Slim walked forward, turning pitch black like Shade before stepping into the shadow and sinking. The group watched wide-eyed, giving nods as Slim gave them a thumbs-up, vanishing from sight. They soon split off to the rallying point, leaving Weiss with Saphron and Adrian. They were escorted by 2 guards led by Cordovin, who voiced her joy at seeing Weiss return to Atlas. Slim, Shade, and Firefly listened, scowling at her words.

“Man, for such a short lady, she’s got a gigantic ego.”  
“Asking for a good word from General Ironwood so obviously certainly isn’t doing her any favors.”  
“Yeah, seriously. She gives you a run for your money, Shade.”

The shadow growled, only to cover his ears when Adrian began to wail. The three travelers watched the scene, snickering as the guards used elaborate methods to calm the child, leaving Weiss free to enter the transport by herself.

“Geez, those guys are idiots. Should’ve been clowns instead of soldiers.”  
“Shut it, Shade, we need to focus.” Slim spoke sharply, focusing on staying silent as he moved to a shadow and emerged, giving Weiss a nod.

“That was close.”  
Ruby’s voice came through their commlinks. “Is everything okay?”  
Weiss was about to reply when Maria began to shake the briefcase she was smuggled in, grumbling and threatening Cordovin and the guards.  
“We're on board.” Weiss rolled her eyes as she spoke.  
“Slim, did you make it on alright?”  
“Yeah, we’re fine. How are things on your end?”  
“We’re all set here, now we wait until you guys get out of the radar’s range.”

“Blake and I have that covered.” Yang spoke, “We’re almost at the drop-off.”

Weiss and Slim nodded to each other. Slim was about to speak when he looked over Weiss’ shoulder, seeing the guards return.

“Crap, they’re coming. I’ll be back.”  
“Is everything alright, Ms. Schnee?”

The heiress tensed at the new voices, who came up just as Slim finished vanishing into the shadow. She quickly composed herself, giving the escorts a nod before sitting down on a nearby bench. The craft took off into the air, slowly leaving the comm tower’s range, making the bars on Weiss’ Scroll fall. With reception completely gone, Weiss calmly stood, quietly snapping her fingers. Slim picked up the signal, silently emerging from the shadows and merging with Shade to help the heiress forcibly eject the pilots, sending them floating out of the transport with a parachute and one of Weiss’ black glyphs.

Shade walked over to the briefcase, opening it and greeting the ‘guest’ with a smirk.

“Did you enjoy your travel, Granny?”  
“Oh, shut it, pipsqueak. I could’ve gotten out of there myself.”  
Shade did an elaborate bow, showing the Reaper to a seat. “You’re welcome.”

To everyone’s surprise, Maria sat herself in the pilot’s seat, making them uneasy.

“Are you sure you can fly this thing?” Weiss asked as she sat.  
“I’m with Weiss.” Slim spoke as Shade regressed into his shadow. “No offense, Maria, but I think Weiss would be better suited to- “  
“Kids, I was the Grimm Reaper.” Maria silenced them as she sat, raising the seat. “What part of ‘Best Huntress of her generation’ don’t you understand?”  
Slim and Weiss shared a nervous look. “Right, but, your eyes…”  
“Wait, what?”

Slim went quiet as Maria reached for the console, pulling out a small jack and putting it into her eyes. They slowly hummed to life, widening as the ship linked with her sensors.

“But you said your eyes were in desperate need of repair!”  
Maria silenced the heiress. Slim tried to voice his own objection, but was silenced as well. Weiss looked over to Slim, seeing Shade and Firefly appear with the same surprised expression.

“We’re screwed, aren’t we?” Firefly asked.  
“Flying with a nearly blind grandma with stealth as our priority? Yeah, I think ‘screwed’ is a word for it.”  
Slim took in a deep breath, trying to give Weiss a reassuring look. She didn’t reciprocate, only eyeing the sky ahead until a voice came from the radio. It was a guard, wondering why the transport was so off course.

“Why can they see us?” Weiss’ whisper couldn’t hide the nerves in her voice.  
“Something’s gone wrong.” Maria replied. “Don’t worry, I’ve worked with Atlas forces before, I know their jargon.”  
The Reaper spoke into the radio, using terms that were almost a foreign language to Weiss and Slim. They looked at each other then back to Maria, who finished with a grin and chuckle.

“Manta 5-1, return to base immediately or you will be treated as hostile, over.”

Shade and Firefly emerged, grimacing like the others. Weiss’ eyes went wide, fear appearing in the forefront.

“I thought you said you knew their jargon!”  
“Jargon was right, but our pilots aren’t elderly women.”

Weiss looked back at Slim, their expressions matching in disbelief and terror as Maria launched upright, eyes wide as could be.

“Oh, well, they got me there!” Weiss’ face shifted to annoyance as Maria spoke. “Oh, my mind really is going! Why would you kids let me fly this thing?”

Shade growled. “Hey lady, you’re the one that said- “  
“_Calavera!_”  
“Oh boy.”  
“You and those insolent children are up to something, aren’t you? You thought you could undermine _my _authority!? If you don’t return my ship this _instant,_ I will make an example out of you. I will show you the true might of Atlas!”

Maria used Cordovin’s conversation to reach down from her seat, grabbing…a bag of cashews. With the food firmly in her lap, the Grimm Reaper turned the radio back on, chewing loudly on the snack.

“You hear that, Cordo? _That’s the sound of me not caring!_” Maria laughed maniacally.

“We’re dead.” Slim slumped.  
“Ruby, we’re in trouble. Cordo’s onto us, _and Maria is NOT helping! _Why is the radar still up?”  
“We don’t know, Blake isn’t responding!”  
“Keep the ship in one piece.” Yang calmly spoke.

“Damn it!” Qrow bellowed. “Cordo’s gonna scramble her fighters. We’ve got maybe 90 seconds before they’re all over Maria.”

“Slim, what do we do?” Firefly asked.  
“Looks like we’ll have a fight on our hands.” Shade grumbled.  
“Hey, we need to stay calm. I’m sure we can- “  
“Guys…” Weiss spoke. “She’s not sending fighters.”

The plane passengers looked down to the landing bay, seeing a pair of large doors open from the side of a cliff. One giant metal foot stepped out, followed by another. A colossal mech walked out, bearing a giant arm for one limb and a massive cannon for the other. Cordovin’s voice boomed through the air as the mech’s cannon rose above its head.

“Clearly the people have forgotten that they live in peace, thanks to the awesome might of Atlas!”  
“Is Cordo piloting _that!?_” Weiss spoke with bewilderment.  
“Consider this…a reminder!”  
“Oh shit. Maria, turn us around!”

The cannon began to charge, a bright yellow light encompassing the inside before shooting off as a bolt of electricity. It hit the plane spot on, scrambling the ship’s navigation for a moment and making the passengers grab on to the sides for support.

“Are you guys okay!?” Weiss looked over to Slim and Maria.  
“We’re alright.” Firefly spoke. “How are you, Maria?”  
“I’m fine, but she’s _clearly_ lost her mind!”  
Cordovin’s voice came through the radio. “And that was merely a warning shot!”  
“Oh crap.”  
“All Atlas personnel stand by, and watch how your leader maintains order!”

The Colossus began to walk, quickly making its way to the transport. Maria turned it sharply, flying towards the ground team with Cordovin in hot pursuit.

“It’s time you ask yourselves, _children_, do you truly wish to defy _me!?_”  
“Remember how Firefly said we were screwed?” Shade eyed the colossus with a gulp. “I think we’re fucked now.”

“Hurry back Weiss,” Ruby’s voice came in, refocusing the three. “I need you on the ground if we’re going to take this thing down.”


	4. New Friend, New Opponent

“Well, let’s see how your resolve holds out against the might of the Atlesian military!”

The mech’s cannon stretched forward, firing a rocket at the transport. Just as it was about to make impact, the missile exploded in the air. Slim, Shade and Firefly looked at the ground, seeing Ruby lower her rifle and glare at Cordo’s mech.

“Dang, what a shot!” Firefly said.  
“Note to self, don’t piss off Red Riding Hood.” Shade spoke with a nervous smirk.  
“Man, these guys really _are_ that good-oh no.” Slim spoke heavily. The mech had spotted the ground team, raising its cannon to eradicate them. Weiss and Maria watched with wide eyes before the heiress quickly got up from her seat.

“Dive!”  
“Weiss, what are you doing!?”

Slim watched with wide eyes as Maria obeyed, bringing the ship right behind the others. Weiss quickly jumped from the ship, raising her sword with a shout just in time to block the Colossus’ ice round with a wall of earth. Slim jumped off after her, breathing a sigh of relief as he, Shade and Firefly eyed the massive spire in front of them.

“Man, you had me worried for a second.”  
Weiss only smirked before looking at Ruby. “You said you needed me on the ground?”  
The Huntress only looked away, scratching the back of her head. “Not exactly.”  
“Whatever you need us for Ruby, we’re in.” Slim spoke with dedication, Shade and Firefly giving nods of support.

Ruby nodded back. “Slim, follow my lead. Ready, Weiss?”

The heiress gave a nod, rolling the cartridges of Dust in her rapier. Slim watched Ruby from a tree as she leapt into the air, shooting at the mech and making a crack in the visor’s glass. Though the crack was visible, the robot seemed unphased, unleashing a barrage of missiles at the duo.

“Shade, now!”  
“I’m on it!”

Ruby and Slim leapt towards the missiles. Ruby was able to evade the first round by speeding around them with her Semblance. Dark limbs emerged from Slim’s shoulders, grabbing and pulling the Huntsman on top of a rocket. Both Hunters leapt and wove their way around the projectiles, descending towards the water with shouts.

Weiss quickly made an ice ramp, sliding behind Ruby with a flourish as she made ice platforms. Slim followed close behind, watching the Colossus and thinking of how to dodge it before a pink explosion hit and distracted the robot. Slim looked back to see Nora, Jaune and Ren run along the cliff and take cover behind rocks. Nora fired another shot, only for it to be stopped by a light-blue shield as Cordo laughed.

“Surely you knew Atlas was the father of hard-light dust, or do lesser kingdoms simply lack proper education?”

The Atlesian lieutenant readied another cannon blast, barraging Nora, Jaune and Ren with shots of earth.

“Guys, are you okay!?” Slim asked.  
“Yeah, we’re fine.” Jaune replied. “But Cordo put up shields!”  
“I saw that.” Oscar spoke. “We need to find the shield generator.”  
“You know, in video games,” Ruby replied, “The weak spot’s usually on the back of the giant boss!”  
“Ruby, this isn’t a game!”  
“She’s right Weiss, and it’s better than nothing.” Slim said.

Qrow flew behind the mech, shifting into his human form and slashing down with his scythe, making a small scratch in the armor.

“Until the shield’s down, looks like we’re gonna have to get up close and personal with this thing.”

Qrow just barely dodged the mech’s hand, which slammed down to squash the Huntsman.

“That’s gonna be tricky guys, what do we do?” Ren asked.  
“We’re on it.” Ruby responded. Weiss nodded, stabbing the ice platform and making massive icicles, hitting the Colossus in its leg. The robot stumbled, quickly realigning itself and aiming its cannon at the three warriors.

“Guys, move!”

Oscar’s warning came too late, as the Colossus fired on Ruby, Weiss and Slim. The shot made a massive geyser of water, hiding their fates from view. A gigantic white wasp emerged, carrying Weiss and Ruby on its back. Oscar sighed with relief.

“Are you guys okay?”  
“We’re fine, where’s Slim!?”

A bright light emerged out of the geyser, shrinking into a familiar shape. The black and gold veins on his gauntlets glowed. A small but sharp glow encompassed his whole body. The Huntsman’s body was relaxed, straightening as jet-black wings emerged from his back and lifted him into the air. The warrior finally opened his eyes, one pupil being as crimson as Shade’s eyes and the other as blue as Firefly’s.

**“We are Shadow,” **Slim’s voice spoke, mixed with Shade’s and Firefly’s. **“And you _will _let all of us pass to Atlas.”  
**“Ne- “

Cordovin never finished her rebuttal, flinching as Ruby dashed at the mech like Qrow did, making a much deeper and longer mark than her uncle. The impact sent the robot stumbling, crashing into the cliff as its pilot screamed in rage. Team JNR ran at the mech, with Jaune and Nora attacking its joints as Ren climbed the arm.

Ruby clung to her scythe, slowly sinking down the robot’s face. The mech’s hand moved to swat the Huntress, but it wasn’t fast enough to hit as she fell to the sea. Shadow flew to catch her, but Weiss beat them to it. Shadow refocused, flying around to distract Cordovin.

Ren continued to descend the Colossus’ back, pulling off a cover but slipping. Qrow managed to catch him, allowing them to focus on Ren’s discovery: The shield generator. With little hesitation, the two warriors shot at the generator, powering it down and leaving the mech defenseless, and its pilot enraged.

Nora took the opportunity to open fire on the mech with renewed vigor. “_You get back here with MY MAN!_”

Shadow flew to the machine’s head, slashing across the armor. They made small but deep cuts across it, opening fire on the scars. The warrior moved to a new area to attack, but stopped when they saw the mech target Nora, with Jaune quickly running to her. Shadow could only watch as Jaune encased himself and Nora in bright Aura, slamming hard against ground and stone. They quickly flew over to the pair, helping Jaune back on his feet.

“Can you two stand?”  
“I-I can. Jaune needs help though.”

Shadow only nodded as they put an arm and wing around one of his shoulders. Nora grabbed the other, seeing the rest of the ground team in the corner of her eye. Shadow followed her line of sight, forced to watch as they were shot out of the sky, with Ruby plummeting down to the side of the cliff.

“This is what happens when you think you know better than those rightfully in charge!”

Shadow growled at the mech before refocusing, walking over to the others that had gotten up from their rough landing just in time for Ruby to reappear.

“Ruby, are you guys okay!?” Oscar spoke.  
The Huntress watched as the transport flew around the Colossus, just barely dodging a shot from the cannon. “Are _we _okay!?”  
“I know, we were supposed to lay low, but I think I’ve found a weakness.”  
“Well, we’re all ears.”

The group turned to see Shadow and a tired Nora support a limping Jaune, exhaustion clear on their faces. Shadow looked furious, giving the group a stern nod.

“The cylinder on Cordo’s cannon rotates and locks in whenever she changes attack styles.”  
“We _noticed._” Weiss replied.  
“Right, but the missiles _don’t _lock in, they pop out! Without the shields, one shot can detonate them while they’re still in the lock.”  
Jaune’s eyes slightly widened. “The detonation could destroy the whole cannon. Oscar, that’s brilliant!”  
“Could you even make that kind of shot?” Nora eyed Ruby with worry, who had her own hesitation on her face.  
“We’d only get one chance before she notices. I’d practically have to be staring down the barrel of her cannon.”  
“Well I’ve got a way to guarantee _that._”

Maria flew to the ground, landing right in front of the group.  
“We can distract her and buy you more time.” Shadow stepped forward. Ruby nodded and jumped onto the ship, Shadow flying beside the craft.

The dark angel quickly flew ahead, shooting at and around Cordovin. The mech’s large hands were too slow to catch the Huntsman, allowing them to make multiple dents and scratches. Shadow smirked as they saw Ruby approach, nervous but confident in her accuracy. Shadow watched Ruby get into position as the mech’s missile launchers opened, only to freeze in shock and terror when she missed, her bullet bouncing off the edge of the launcher.

“You thought you could fool _me!?_”

Cordovin quickly snapped into action, swatting Shadow away as the robot aligned its cannon, blasting Maria’s ship with electricity. Shadow quickly recovered, seeing the ship descend to the ground blazing a trail of black smoke.

“_No!_”

The warrior flew as fast as they could, noticing Qrow shift into his bird form and travel to the same destination. The two Huntsmen landed simultaneously, seeing Ruby stumble out of the ship, with Maria close behind as Cordovin laughed.

“Help Ruby and Maria! We’ve got Oscar!”

Qrow only nodded as he tended to his niece. Shadow ran into the ship, seeing Oscar slumped over in his chair, a faint groan escaping his lips and a generous amount of blood escaping his side. Shadow kneeled beside the young man, putting their hand on the wound.

“Hang on Oscar, we’ve gotcha.”

The boy only groaned as Shadow closed their eyes, enveloping their hands and Oscar’s wound in bright light. The dark angel put their light Aura into the wound, seeing the flow of Oscar’s own Aura. Shadow followed the stream, reaching its core only to stop short.

There was another soul in Oscar’s body.

Shadow found themselves in front of a small but intimidating door. The Huntsman walked through, seeing lifetimes play out across their vision. A warrior in silver and green armor. A man with incredible power floating beside a woman with pale white skin and black and red eyes. That same man, now a father, sneaking his children out of their home, only to be found by the ghostly woman and incinerated.

Just as it felt as if Shadow’s mind would burst, the visions stopped, bringing the Huntsman into a small cabin’s eating space. The table was occupied by a lone white haired individual, who shot up from his slumped position and turned, looking at the visitor with wide eyes.

“Who are you? How did you get here!?”  
“Don’t worry, we’re a friend.” Shadow disbanded, leaving Slim in their place, with Shade and Firefly beside him. “Oscar needed healing, so we helped.”  
The man sighed. “Well, thank you, but now it would be best if you left.”  
The three guests stopped, seeing the ancient soul’s exhaustion and sadness bright and clear. “I understand why you’re ashamed, Ozma. But we need your help and guidance. I may have only recently met Oscar and his friends, but it’s clear that they need support. Giving that to them would improve their opinion of you.”  
“Please, _leave._”

Slim only gave a sad nod, merging with Shade and Firefly again as he left.

“If you want forgiveness from others, you have to forgive yourself first.”

Shadow left the area, opening his eyes to find Oscar slowly awakening in his pilot chair. The boy looked at his healer first with surprise, then gratitude. Shadow nodded, helping Oscar out of the plane to see Ruby standing her ground against Cordovin’s mech, who was standing still.

“We’re supposed to use our power to protect people, but you use yours to look down on others!”

“What is she doing?” Firefly spoke nervously.  
“We only stole because you didn’t give us a choice! Now I’m giving you one last chance to stand down and hear us out.”

Everyone stood still, tense at what could happen. The only sounds were a soft wind and calm growling from Shade.

“I’ve heard enough.”

The mech’s cannon aligned with the Huntress, charging an electric blast.

“No! _Ruby!_” Slim ran forward, transforming into Shadow again. The others followed suit, trying to move Ruby out of the cannon’s range, only for the Huntress to jump into the cannon itself.

“She’s gonna get herself killed!!” Shadow spoke.  
“She’s _nuts!!_” Nora voiced her own agreement.

Everyone could only stand and hope for Ruby’s safety as she vanished into the cannon, which rose into the air. The Huntress emerged a moment later, being surrounded by electricity as she flew through the air. The cannon shook as elements encased it, weighing down the weapon and leaving its pilot screaming in rage.

Ruby broke out of her Semblance, her red Aura encasing and breaking around her body. Shadow flew into the air as Weiss summoned a number of glyphs to slow her down. The dark angel caught her with a grunt, bringing her to Qrow, putting his niece in his arms with a worried expression. Said niece slowly opened her eyes, looking at her uncle with a slight smirk.

“Told ya.”

The group took a collective breath of relief, only to tense as Cordovin’s voice screamed through the ship’s radio, ordering the travelers to be captured. They moved to the ship, but stopped as a monstrous roar filled the air.

“It’s a Leviathan! It surfaced during your battle, ma’am. We need you!”


	5. Monster of the Deep

The group’s eyes went wider than ever, looking over to Cordovin’s mech, which had become almost completely still. Blake and Yang emerged from the trees moments later, eyes wide at the sight before them.

“What happened?”  
“It’s a long story.” Shadow stepped forward. “But for now, we’ve got- “

Another roar raced across the air, emotions only running higher.

“Was that a giant Grimm?” Yang asked.  
“Yes,” Weiss spoke solemnly, “And we just ruined the only thing capable of stopping it.”  
“There’s gotta be something we can do.” Shadow said, “We won’t get anything done here. Everyone, back onto the ship!”

The group nodded, corralling into the transport as Maria took the pilot’s seat again, leaving Cordovin and her Colossus broken. Yang and Blake quickly sat down, the others encircling them while giving plenty of space. Blake looked down with shame while Yang held her hands on her lap.

“I’m so sorry.” Blake sounded on the verge of tears.  
“Don’t be, this isn’t on you.” Yang reassured her, some heaviness also in her voice.  
“But- “  
“You’re safe,” Ruby kneeled before the Faunus, taking her hands in her own. “That’s all that matters.”  
“She’s right.” Shadow stepped forward, leaving Blake with marginally widened eyes. “You’re here now, and are willing to help us still, even with your distress. The rest can be taken care of later.”

Blake nodded at the Huntsman, which they reciprocated. Ruby looked at Yang, who only looked away with a soft smile on her face.

“I hate to be the bad guy and say it,” Maria spoke, “but getting the lamp to Atlas is still our top priority. And right now, is our best chance to leave undetected, and it won’t come around again.”

The group was silent, contemplating their options: Escape and get to Atlas, but possibly leave others to die? Or stay and fight, but risk arrest from Cordovin’s forces?

“No way.”

The group looked to Yang and Blake, seeing their heads held high.

“We’re not leaving, not like this.” Weiss stood beside them with crossed arms and a determined expression.  
“It’s like you said,” Blake chimed in, “A Huntress is supposed to protect others to the bitter end.”  
Shadow crossed their arms. “And if we can’t protect people from monsters like this, then we don’t deserve the Huntsman title.”

The group nodded; the final decision being made. Maria looked to Ruby with nervous eyes, but the Huntress only shrugged.

“Eyes up everybody, it’s back.” Qrow gestured to the team, who looked out to see that his statement was true. A giant black creature rose from the water even as several smaller Grimm battled with Atlas ships in the air.

Sharp black fins with bone-like endings emerged from its back. Red gills surrounded its neck, vibrating intensely as the beast roared. The Leviathan’s mouth stretched open, long strands of skin connecting its jaws, holding sharp white teeth that seemed to blend into its white face plate. The skull-like patch flowed with red energy, giving its red and orange eyes even greater ferocity.

“Argus Base, this is Manta 3-4. Leviathan has re-emerged in the shallows. We need those hard-light shields up _now, _over!”

“Even ignoring the Leviathan, those other ships need help. We’ll give them assistance.” Shadow walked over to one of the doors, opening it and looking out.  
“Shadow, wait!” Ruby walked to their side. “We can use you up here, we’re going to need all the help we can get with this Grimm.”  
“We appreciate the sentiment Ruby,” The Huntsman gave her a reassuring smile, “But even if the Leviathan is stopped, those smaller Grimm can still hurt the people if they get past the ships. We’ll be there when you need us.”

Ruby only nodded, her and the others watching as Shadow jumped out of the ship, flying to the dogfight.  
“They’re certainly brave,” Qrow slightly smirked, “though I’m beginning to wonder if they’re walking into stupidity at this point.”

Shadow sped to the fight, making a few passing shots at the Leviathan as they passed. The Sphinx Grimm focused their efforts on the ships, leaving them open for Shadow’s claws. The Huntsman raced toward one threatening a ship, slicing it in two. The pilots looked at them, bewildered, but Shadow only nodded, flying off to another nearby monster. Shadow was swift, making clean shots at farther Grimm while slashing any that got too close.

‘No matter how many we cut down, more just seem to pop out!’ Shade growled from within.  
‘The others can handle themselves; you saw what Ruby alone did with Cordovin.’ Slim responded.  
‘Besides, these people need our-do you hear that?’ Firefly spoke.

Shadow drew their attention to the Leviathan, seeing its red parts glow. An intense beam of energy escaped its maw, trying but failing to get past Argus’ hard-light barriers. However, the spires generating the shield were unprotected, leaving one open for attack, disabling the whole generator.

“No…”

The monster slowly walked on, intending to finish the job and leave Argus in ruin. Shadow flew to the Leviathan, slashing at its arms and gills. The giant roared, quickly swatting away the Huntsman.

“We can stop it!”  
‘Wait, Ruby!?’  
“My team and I are heading to the Leviathan and can weaken it for you to attack.”

Shadow’s eyes went wide. They quickly woke from their stupor, continuing to fight the Sphinxes while keeping an eye on the Leviathan.

‘What the hell are you doing man!?’ Shade spoke. ‘Those guys may be good, but this is a whole new game!’  
‘We have to trust her. Besides, we have a job here. Behind us!’

Shadow quickly turned, grabbing an approaching Sphinx by the throat and stabbing its stomach. Another Sphinx was close by, attacking a ship. Shadow flew over, tearing off its wings before shoving it off to the ocean. A grayed-out ship flew right by, marking it for the Huntsman as Ruby’s ship. It flew to the Leviathan, even as it charged another beam attack.

They approached too late, just barely pulling up to avoid the monster’s attack. It tore through the second shield, breaking off part of a building on the mainland.

“No! Guys, are you okay!?”  
“We’re fine,” Blake responded, “but it’s on the move again. We need to stop it!”  
“Hang on, we can stall it for a bit, but get something whipped up, fast!”  
“Let us help!” Nora spoke through the speaker, drawing Shadow’s eyes to the ship. Nora and Yang stood by the open door, shooting at the beast and gaining its attention. Shadow flew to its back, flying low and slashing at the monster’s back. The Huntsman was ambushed by a Sphinx, who grabbed one of Shadow’s arms and threw them back towards the ship.

Shadow quickly recovered, stopping short when he saw Ruby on top of Weiss’ wasp, floating just in front of the Leviathan.

‘Is she just…standing there!?’  
‘This is bad. Look out!’

Another Sphinx grazed by, slashing Shadow’s face. They quickly counterattacked, finishing it off with a swift headshot. They turned around, seeing the monster stare Ruby in the face before quickly opening its jaws and lunging, making to devour her.

“_No! Ruby!!_” Shadow flew as fast as they could, hoping to save the Huntress. But she stayed there, eyeing the Leviathan with intensity as her eyes glowed, giving off a blinding and expanding white light. Shadow covered their eyes, seething in pain as the light touched them. Shadow began plummeting to the ground, but with the light faded, Shadow quickly recovered, flying back up to find the Leviathan encased in stone.

‘Phew, that was close.’ Slim thought.  
‘You’re telling me. That felt worse than a scathing sunburn!’ Shade growled.  
‘T-that was incredible!’ Firefly spoke.  
‘Holy shit. Is she…?’  
‘I think she is. A Silver-Eyed Warrior.’

Shadow flew down to Ruby, giving her a wide smile. Ruby reciprocated, breathing a deep sigh of relief. The comfort was fleeting, however, as the Leviathan began to struggle and break free from its bonds with a roar. The group could only watch in horror, unsure of what to do.

“I will take it from here!”

Cordovin’s Colossus rung out with determination, running towards the fight, with its cannon arm cut off. The other arm shifted into a drill, which quickly whirred to life.

“After all, I was sworn to protect the people!”

The Colossus sprung through the air, digging into the Leviathan relentlessly. The beast could only roar in agony as it was pierced, leaving behind a quickly dispersing cloud of smoke as it vanished. The mech stepped before Ruby and Shadow, opening to show Cordovin standing with her hands behind her back and a serious expression on her face.

“Thank you,” Ruby nodded, “And, I’m sorry.”  
“The Atlas military can handle the stragglers.”  
“What are you saying?”  
“I’m saying I don’t think anyone would notice if one more ship went missing in my…lengthy report.” The lieutenant turned and smirked. “Shadow, was it?” The mentioned Huntsman looked up to her with a puzzled expression. “I believe you will make a fine warrior someday. We could use your talents in the military.”  
Shadow only crossed their arms. “We aren’t exactly military discipline types. We will be Huntsmen, and there’s no changing our mind.”

Cordovin only nodded, returning to her seat in the Colossus and racing off towards the other Grimm. Ruby and Shadow looked at each other, the Huntress noticing Shadow’s fatigue.  
“Are you okay?”  
“We’re fine, just a bad sunburn.” The Huntsman tried to ease her worries with a smile, but they could tell it didn’t work. Ruby only eyed them intently, both warriors quickly returning to Maria’s ship.


	6. Recovery and Comradery

The group smiled as Yang fiercely embraced her sister. Shadow dispersed, leaving Slim falling to his knees in exhaustion. Blake kneeled before the Huntsman, helping him up with a soft smile.

“Thank you.”  
“No problem.”

The others sighed in relief, sitting around the ship and taking the moment to rest. Maria flew on, passing through the night sky as Qrow and Ruby watched.

“We should have _just _enough fuel to make it to Atlas.”  
“Thanks Ms. Calavera.”  
“Hey Ruby,” Qrow spoke sincerely, “you did great out there today, kid. Just don’t go out givin’ me heart attacks like that.”  
Ruby hugged her uncle intensely. “I love you too.”

Weiss sat beside Blake, who was next to Yang, the fighters sharing distant and despondent expressions. “I’m sorry you had to go through that nightmare,” Weiss looked up to the Faunus with relief in her eyes, “but I’m glad Yang was there for you in time.”  
Blake smiled at her friend’s words, slightly widening when Yang took her hand in her own. “We were there for each other.”

The two warriors looked at each other with love and thankfulness in their eyes, the good feeling spreading to the others. “Took the words right out of my mouth.” Nora spoke the group’s thoughts, leaning towards Jaune with a smile, which he reciprocated. The group turned to Ruby with admiration in their eyes.

“Ayyy, stop that.”  
“You petrified a Leviathan,” Ren spoke. “After diving down the barrel of a _cannon_!”  
"You sniped a missile out of the air, _from the ground__!!_" Firefly exclaimed.  
“They're right, Ruby.” Shade emerged with a smirk. “Not even I’m that badass, or crazy.”  
“Uhh, come on, don’t act like you guys haven’t done crazy stuff before!” Ruby looked around, diverging the conversation from herself. “I mean, Slim, Shade and Firefly were flying and taking on Sphinxes by themselves!”  
“Hey come on now,” Slim scratched the back of his head. “We were only supporting you guys.”  
“Still, Oscar managed a safe crash landing! He’s a 14-year-old farmhand!!”  
“That was seriously impressive.” Jaune smiled.  
“We’d have been stranded without you.” Blake added.

  
“I, uh, thanks.” Oscar spoke shyly. “I’ve been meaning to tell you guys. I didn’t entirely land the ship on my own. Ozpin appeared to help, but I still got injured, and Slim, err, Shadow, healed me.”

The group looked at their newest addition, seeing Shade and Firefly also lower their heads in embarrassment. They quickly caught the first part of his admission, looking at him with surprised eyes.

“Ozpin took control?” Nora asked.  
“No, he guided me.” He looked down almost shamefully.  
Yang broke away, eyeing the farmhand seriously. “Does that mean he’s been watching us this whole time?”  
“I don’t know, but at least that means he’s been looking out for us.”

“Even with all his mistakes,” Slim spoke, “He’ll come around.”  
“How do you know that?”  
“Well, when we healed Oscar as Shadow, we…visited Ozpin on accident.”  
The group’s eyes were nearly as wide as saucers. “You can’t be serious.” Weiss spoke.  
“He’s right.” Firefly said. “We…saw everything. His lives, Salem, all of it. Ozpin…wasn’t too keen on that.”

“And you just think he’s gonna pop out and everything will be happily ever after again?”  
“No. As someone who has an actual demon inside,” Slim looked to Shade, “I know that he’ll need to put in effort. Believe us, we understand why you’re upset, we are too. But I’ll wait and let him speak when he’s ready.”

A ringing suddenly broke the new silence. Slim reached into his pocket, finding that Dot was calling him.

“Hey, Dot, uh-yes, we’re okay. All of us are. Okay, okay, I will.” Slim held out his Scroll, turning on its speaker.

“Are you guys really okay?”  
“Yes, Dot.” Blake spoke, “We’re all fine.”  
“You should’ve seen him out there!” Nora nearly yelled. “Shadow was wild! They were taking out Grimm left and right like they were paper!”  
“Nora, please- “  
“You certainly picked a good one, Dot.” Yang looked up, winking at Slim, making him quickly blush and the others laugh. “When’s the wedding?”  
“_Okay, _that’s enough out of you.” Slim returned the Scroll to his ear, turning around and making the others laugh even more. “Sorry about them.”

“Well, they’re right. I really did pick a good one. I’m proud of you, all of you.”  
“Aww, thanks, babe.” Shade smirked.  
“Thanks, Dot.” Firefly whispered.  
“Listen, I know that I can’t really stop you from traveling with them, and I’m glad you’re doing good, but I do want some conditions.”  
Slim nodded, “Name ‘em.”  
“First, you call me regularly, at _least_ weekly. I want to know what you guys are up to.”  
“Deal.”  
“Second, you come home once a year at the minimum. Am I clear?”  
“Crystal.” Shade spoke. “Love you, babe.”  
“Love you guys too.”

Slim hung up, he and his parts turning around to see the whole group give him wide smiles.

“What’d I tell ya, Slim? She’s a keeper.”

Slim’s eyes turned as pink as his cheeks. He looked away at first, but matched Yang’s gaze, looking between her and Blake. He stopped short, his eyes growing distant as he seemed to stare off into space. In reality, he saw Blake and Yang’s souls, and their connection. Blake’s soul was purple, but a small and radiant piece was shining a golden yellow. That color came from Yang’s soul, which now had a small but deep shard of purple, blending into her own yellow seamlessly. Slim snapped back to reality, bearing a huge smile as he broke into laughter.

“What’s so funny?”  
“You know how magic used to be a mere fantasy?” The group nodded in response.  
“Well,” Slim smirked as he pointed two fingers at Blake and Yang, “You can add soulmates to the ‘Fantasy Made Reality’ list.”

The two women only looked at Slim and his parts, who all gave thumbs-ups, before looking at each other with wide eyes and rapid blushes, quickly turning away with shy smiles. The others smiled themselves, indulging in the happy atmosphere.

“Hey,” Qrow spoke up, “if you haven’t seen Atlas in person before, you don’t wanna miss this.”

The group quickly gathered around the seats, seeing a massive island flying in the sky. It was connected to the ground by wires, pulling at its earth-colored underbelly. The top, even in the dark of night, was a pristine white, with large spires standing out from the city itself. The spires were only topped by what appeared to be a fortress in the center, seeming to touch the clouds themselves.

“You know,” Maria spoke, “You can make the trip up to Atlas over and over, but you never get used to that view.”

As soon as she finished speaking, one of Maria’s eyes glitched, lazily swinging downward compared to its upright kin.

“Must be a real sight if your eyes spark like this, Granny.” Shade chuckled.

Ruby eyed the marvel in wonder, looking over to see Weiss watch not with awe, but concern.

“Weiss, what is it?”

Everyone followed her line of vision, seeing a massive fleet of Atlas ships and cruisers loom over them and the land.

“The Atlas Air fleet.”  
“So you're saying this isn’t our welcoming party?” Shade tried to make a joke, but his concern shone through any mirth.  
“I knew all of our ships were called back, but…”  
“They’re set up like they’re expecting an attack.” Qrow spoke.

“Manta 5-1,” The radio buzzed. “Welcome home.”

“What do we do?” Nora asked.  
“For now, we keep going. Be ready for anything.” Ruby spoke sharply, receiving nods in return.  
“We should get some rest, even if it isn’t much.” Slim suggested.

The group agreed, settling back into their original seated positions. Team JNR was the first to nod off, Nora and Ren laying their heads on Jaune’s shoulders. Ruby settled behind Maria’s seat, with Weiss beside her. Blake and Yang took the back of the ship, resting into each other. Slim walked up to Qrow.

“You should rest too, I can stay with Maria.”  
“I’m fine, kid. You look worse than I do, and that’s saying something.” Slim tried to respond, but the older Huntsman silenced him, making him walk away.  
“Hey Slim.”  
“Hm?”  
“You also did good out there today. Not too shabby for someone who’s supposedly a rookie.”  
Slim smiled. “You weren’t so bad yourself, Qrow. Thank you for flying us, Maria.”  
“You can thank me by getting some sleep yourself. You took a big beating today.”

Slim only chuckled as he obeyed, moving to the ship’s corner adjacent to Yang and Blake. Blake was very nearly asleep, eyes open barely an inch, and Yang wasn’t far behind. The brawler gave Slim a smile, which he reciprocated.

“You guys doing okay?” He asked.  
“As okay as we can be.” Yang responded.  
Slim nodded. “I understand. You two should be proud of yourselves. You took down one of your worst demons, and you did it together. Not many can do that.”  
“Thanks, though I wish it could’ve gone differently.” Yang looked down with sadness and anger on her face.

Slim nodded with clear understanding in his eyes. “When I first met Shade, I wanted nothing to do with him. I wanted him gone and out of my life, thinking he was only around to ruin it. But now, I’m glad he’s around, and we’ve made amends. I wish I had trusted him from the beginning, but there’s nothing we can do about the past.”  
Yang looked over to Blake, seeing her sound asleep. “You said soulmates were a real thing. Were you serious?”  
Slim smiled and nodded. “100 percent. I’m happy for you both. You deserve this, after all you’ve been through, even if I don’t know the specifics.”  
“Thank you, Slim.”

The Huntsman only nodded, turning over and dozing off with a smile, even with the knowledge of more hardship on the very near horizon. No matter what came, he knew that he was making the right choice in following his friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed the story! This is my longest story by far (and by a decent margin XD), but I hope you still enjoyed! Huge thanks to @Friendly Neighborhood Ciderrman on Discord and @applesjuice on tumblr for beta reading and giving me advice on this story, you're awesome! The biggest flaw I can see is that Chapters 3 and 4 can feel a bit too pandering to the show itself. 
> 
> If you like what you saw of my original characters, please check out my Shadows stories as well! Please tell me what you think in the comments, and have a good day!


End file.
